How to Lower CYANURIC ACID in a POOL

Swim University makes pool and hot tub care easy for millions of homeowners. Each year, we continue to help more people with water chemistry, cleaning, and troubleshooting. We know taking care of a swimming pool or spa can be difficult. And it’s hard to find a trusted source of information. This is the reason we created Swim University.

Cyanuric acid, also known as CYA, pool conditioner or pool stabilizer, is crucial for maintaining your water’s chemical balance. But while CYA helps protect your chlorine from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, too much CYA isn’t good for your water chemistry. So here’s everything you need to know about how to lower your CYA levels.

⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to How to Lower Cyanuric Acid
00:41 - What Causes High Cyanuric Acid Levels?
01:18 - How Do You Lower Cyanuric Acid Levels?
02:20 - Do Cyanuric Acid Reducers Work?

[Pineapple-Express_MX]

Your channel is how I been able to care for my pool. Since we bought a house with a 20x40 foot pool 6 years ago! You have such a pool knowledge. Thank You!

[Kay-Kiss]

I am a first-time pool owner and your videos have been very helpful.

[popeye]

We recently bought a home with a ~15, 000 gallon pool. I haven’t owned and maintained a pool in over 20 years. I tested the chlorine and it was extremely high. So I took a sample to my pool supply company and my CYA, which I never heard of before, was 169ppm. Research and recommendations said to dilute. To give some perspective, after draining 50% and adding water I only dropped it down to 105ppm. I really thought I would have lowered it more. That was disappointing, but I will try draining my pool again in the winter months.

[patriciashaver]

What brand of liquid chlorine do you suggest?

[patriciashaver]

Going to drain some, but have well water. What's the easiest hose filter to use?

[robschultz]

Can you recommend a good pool test kit that does cya? I misread the bag and added double!! I'm going to drain half out unfortunately but I would like to test it so I know just how bad it is...

[jordanwertz]

If my CYA levels are high, but all other markers are fine, is there an issue?

[rockoko]

Help! At the end of last year I had a high CYA problem with my inground pool. This spring I drained my pool, pressure washed it, refilled it, and changed the sand in my filter. The only thing I've put in this year was my opening kit, a couple chlorine tabs and some stabilizer (4lbs). My CYA is already high again. Any suggestions as to how to get it down without having to drain the pool again. (I was told not to drain it because it is a vinyl insert and without any water it may be pushed out of the ground, but I did it anyway)

[leannehachey-dangelo]

Will a copper solar ionizer raise my CYA levels? Thanks!

[davidjones]

Question, guys if I can install an activated charcoal filter to my boost pump cleaner hose can I filter any cya's or phosphates to improve and lower my stabilizer levels??

[morocknroll]

Is there such thing as unstablilized chlorine tablets?

[saraquigley]

Quick question: the cyanuric acid level in my 24’ above ground pool is showing 135ppm, which is obviously too high. It’s supposed to be between 30-50ppm, but I think the company that opened it this year put too much stabilizer in for some reason. I’m told the only way to fix that is by draining the pool and diluting with fresh water, which isn’t really an option because my town has water restrictions in place. One pool company guy said many people just ignore high cyanuric acid levels and swim in it as is, but I read that too high a level can “lock” the chlorine and therefore the bacteria in the water isn’t able to be treated. I’m ready to just through the cover back on and skip the pool this year, which is a shame, unless you have additional wisdom to impart?

[AutumnG]

How do I add stabilizer to my above ground pool? I’ve seen dissolving in water and adding a a sock and putting in skimmer which one do you suggest?

[carolynrivera]

Hoping you will answer this. We have a UV Ozone pool 25, 000 gal liner. This is my issue with a CYA of 180. I was following what the test strips would say since getting my pool. I needed to add chlorine quite often according to the strip. I will say I have been always had troubles with the alk and ph being low. I would put in 2 chlorine tablets along with 2 or 3 clear balance tabs into the tube by the filter. Now I’m being told to drain my pool a foot and replace x3. Then he said to add shock and descaler. My question is how do I prevent this? This video says we are using too much chlorine but when the strip says we need it, don’t I need to add it? I would really appreciate your help cause we never really understood how to manage this pool. I need it simplified and as easy as possible because it’s so hard to understand it all.

[antoinettemetoyer]

Hi just learned about cya. Mine is 120. It was suggested i drain half of my 15k pool. I live near Houston. High water table. Is this safe? I read someone did this and their cya was still over 100!

[KristyStill]

Ours is 150 cya. We are draining to get it down but then are we still good uses the chlorine tablets? We’ve used them for 4 years without issue so I don’t understand why ours went so high.
Pool store keeps saying don’t worry about it. But it’s high. 🤷‍♀️🥴

[CSE-cj]

how do you manage CYA levels using Trichlor tablets? From what I understand, trichlor tablets are stabilized and contain about 6-7% CYA. So if you start with 30 ppm CYA and use 2–3 tablets per week, wouldn’t your CYA climb out of range pretty fast in just a few weeks requiring a partial drain every 3-4 weeks to dilute your water?

[AlmightyPyro]

should you shock if CYA is in range? How long will it take for chlorine to be back to normal?

[sfagan]

Would running pool, water with high CYA through a hose filter reduce the CYA level

[guyverGODZILLAheiseiERA]

If you have the GUNK ( Orange build up) keep your chlorine tablets off for about a week AND SIFON THE GUNK WITH WASTE SETTING ( *PANTYHOSE WITH MICROFIBER MATERIAL layered twice in vacuum basket FOR BATTERY VACUUMS* ) or sifon to waste in SKIMMER VACCUM HOSE